Cable-coupling.



Patented Aug. 8, I399.

E. s. DECKER. CABLE CUUPLING.

(Application filed Mar. 23, 1899.

(No Model.)

Invenibz' Edwin i ec/fev:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWVIN S. DECKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL CABLEENGINEERING COMPANY, OF MAINE;

CABLE-COUPLING.

sP 'EoIFIcATIoN' forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,806, datedAugust 8, 1899.

Application filed March 23, 1899. Serial No. 710,170. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: vided in connection with an axle for usewith Be it known that I, EDWIN S. DECKER, of a coal-bucket. Fig. 2 is abottom plan View Boston, county of Suftolk, State of Massachuof the axleherein constituting the upper memsetts, have invented an Improvement inCaber of the clamp. Fig; 3 is a vertical trans- 5 ble-Clamps, of whichthe following descripverse section thereof, taken on theline 3, Fig.

tion, in connection with the accompanying 1. Fig. 4c is a top plan Viewof the lower memdrawings, isaspecification, like letters on the her ofthe clamp. Fig. 5 is a broken detail drawings representing like parts.showing in side elevation a modified form of My invention is an improvedclampforfas the clamp. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a 1o tening cables,being particularly adapted for coal-bucket provided with myinvention,illussecuring ropes or cables used in endless contrating the manner ofuse thereof. veyersforconveyingheavyloads,suchascoal, Vhile I haveherein shown the clamp as on which great longitudinal strains come,provided in connection with an axle, it will tending to pull or slidethe cables in their be understood that its use is not limited to 15fastenings. The requirements of this class this connection, but that theclamp will be of devices in the use last mentioned are peemployed in allusual situations Where cableculiar and very exacting, inasmuch as theclamps are needed. The axle is shown in oploads carried are heavy andthe pull on the erative position in Fig. 6 and in enlarged decables isconstant and enormous, so that the tails in the other figures, fromwhich it will 2o usual clamps frequently prove insufficient, be seenthat it comprises web portions a a G and, moreover, as usuallyconstructed they having lateral flanges a a and securing-ears requirefrequent tightening and constant at- 6?, through which bolts 1) arepassed to secure tention,besides being cumbersome and some-' the'bucketor other conveyer B thereto, and what expensive. the ends of the axlehave journals a on which 7 25 My present invention comprises, in generalthe running wheels are mounted, as shown in terms, two opposite membersbetween which Fig. 6.

the cable is clamped, said members being pro- The upper member C of theclampt'. a, as vided with complementary portions of suit herein shown,the lowerface of the middle able grooves for gripping the cable in usualpart of the axle-is provided with transverse o manner, excepting that Imake the grooves grooves c to receive the ropes or cables whichpreferably slightly smaller than the cables, are to be secured thereto,there being two of so that they will pinch or bite into the cables,these grooves when the clamp is used merely and in connection with thesetwo members I for fastening the bucket or other device to provide anindependent crimping device or the hauling-cables and four of thesegrooves 3 5 auxiliary clamp, preferably in the form of a when the clampis used for joining together U-shaped bolt, which forces the cablesintothe meeting ends of the two haulingcables, a depression formed inone of the members as will readily be understood without further andbinds the cable therein independently of explanation. the grip on thecable secured by the two main Intermediately of the upperclamping mem-40 members of the clamp. ber C ,is a recess 0, (shownin bottom planFurther details of construction and advan- View in Fig.- 2 and insection in Fig. 3,) and tages of operation of my invention willapopposite this recess the lower clamping mempear in the course of thefollowing descripber C is provided with a depression 0 this v tion,reference being had to the accompanydepression conforming in surfacecontour to 9 45 ing drawings, illustrative of a preferred emtheholding-grooves c opposite and complebodiment of the invention, and thelatter will mentary of the grooves c,as clearly shown in be moreparticularly defined in the appended Fig. 4. I claims. From the abovedescription it will be un- In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in sidederstood that the cables will be rested or laid :00 5o elevation, partsbeing broken away, one emin the grooves c of the lower member, and thebodiment of my rope-clamp, shown as prolatter will then be clamped bymeans of bolts- 0 against the opposite upper member 0,

thereby firmly biting the cables between the two members of the clamp.If this were all, however, the cables would inevitable work loose andslip along the clamp in operation, as this has been my experience evenwith the most approved clamps of this general kind, and, moreover, theclamping-bolts 0 would need frequent tightening because of the greatstrain brought upon them. However, I relieve the clamp of allpossibility of working loose, as stated, and I relieve the bolt 0 ofperforming the chief gripping function of the clamp by providing inconnection with the arch and recess mentioned a crimping or clampingbolt or device 0 (Shown in side elevation in Figs. 1 and 5 and insection in Fig. 3.) This crimping or clamping device 0 is preferablyU-shaped in form, so that it will simultaneously engage all the cables,and its ends 0 are threaded and engaged by tightening-nuts 0 therebymaking it convenient to depress or crimp the cables quickly, as shown inFig. 3, and tighten or flatten them down against the lower member 0 toany degree required, and in this position it will be evident that thecables cooperate with the grooved surface at the bottom of thedepression 0 so as to geta firm grip thereon. Each cable gets a specialgrip or bite on the shoulders c at the opposite sides of the recess 0The practical operation of my improved clamp, as above described, isentirely different from those referred to and obviates the objectionsnoted.

The main clamping or holding of the cable is accomplished by thecrimping or clamping device 0 and this cooperates, it will be observed,with one member of the clamp only and does not depend for its operationon the other member, said other member being necessary merely forproperly retaining the ropes in place and performing the other usualoffices.

It is not new and I lay no claim to the mere crimping or deflecting ofthe cables by the clamp; but in the clamp which has heretofore employedthis feature the crimping of the cable has been done by providing atortuous passage in the clampt'. 6., one member of the clamp has had aprojection and the other member a depression, which have cooperated tobend the cable, the result being that although a better frictional gripwas gained thecable tended constantly to pull the two members of theclamp apart and brought a series of strains on the clamp, which not onlyrequired the clamp to be awkward and cumbersome, but created undue Wearand possessed many objectionable features.

In my clamp the kink or crimp of the cables does not bring anyseparating strain on the members of the clamp, for the reason that thecrimping or bending device 0 cooperates solely with one member of'theclampviz., in the form of clamp shown with the lower member, althoughthe parts may be reversed if desired.

The operation of my device will be readily understood: A bucket B is tobe secured at any point along the carrying-cables, the cables are placedin the outside channels or grooves of the respective .upper and lowermembers, and they are fastened loosely together, and then the bolt orstaple c is tightened firmly against the cables, so as to pinch and, ifdesired, crush them down into their seats, and then the bolts 0 aretightened, so as to hold the two members of the clamp as shown in Figs.1 and 3, and if the ends of the cables are to be secured together itwill be understood that the two ends of one cable will occupy the tworight-hand grooves, Fig. 1, and the two ends of the left hand willoccupy the two left-hand grooves, and then the various parts of theclamp will be tightened and fastened together as before; or if the clampis to be used solely for the .purpose mentioned and not for splicingthen the two middle grooves will be unnecessary, in which case they maybe omitted, and the clamp will then be made as shown in Fig. 5, wherethe general construction is the same as already explained, exceptingthat the two middle grooves are omitted and instead thereof a preferablyrectangular depression 0 (indicated in dotted lines) will be provided inone,

preferably the lower, member C and a depending lip or interlockingprojection 0 will be provided in the upper member 0 This lip, it will beobserved, projects laterally slightly into the path of the adjacentcable at each end thereof, the object of this particular constructionbeing to tightly pinch or wedge the cable between the interlockingprojection 0 and the clamping-bolt c, which materially aids the grippingpower of the clamp. It will be understood that one purpose also of theinterlocking portions (the depression and projection) is to relieve thebolts 0 of the shearing strain due to the pull of the cable, andtherefore I do not limit this feature of the invention to that form ofthe clamp which employs two cables only.

As already intimated, various details in construction may be resorted towithin the spirit and scope of my invention, and the latter is notlimited in any wise to use in the con nection shown.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A cable-clamp comprising separate upper and lower members formed tocontact with the cable on opposite sides thereof,means to clamp themtogether on the cable, and an a uxiliary clamping device independent ofone of said members and adjustable in the other member to cooperatetherewith for clamping the cable against said latter member, subretain acable resting therein, one of said IIO members having a depression inthe line of said cable, and an auxiliary clamping device for crimpingthe cable in the said depression, of the said member, and beingindependent of the other of said members, substantially as described.

3. A cable clamp consisting of opposite clamping members provided withcomplementary portions or passages to receive and retain a cable restingtherein, one of said members having a depression in the line of saidcable, and an auxiliary clamping device for crimping the cable in thesaid depression of the said member, and being independent of theother ofsaid members, the latter member having a recess opposite said depressionto accommodate said auxiliary clamping device.

4. A cableclamp comprising an upper member and a lower member, andhaving on their inner faces each a plurality of grooves, the opposedgrooves of the respective members being in alinement to receive andretain cables, means to clamp said members together, the grooves of oneof said members having a depression intermediate their lengths, a U-shaped bolt or clamping device spanning said depression, and tighteningmeans for fastening said bolt to the member having said depression, forclamping the cables independently of the opposite member, substantiallyas described.

5. A cable-clamp comprising an upper member and a lower member andhaving on their inner faces each a plurality of grooves, the opposedgrooves of the respective members be-' ing in alinement to receive andretain cables, means to clamp said members together, the grooves of oneof said members having a depression .intermediate their lengths, a U-shaped bolt or crimping device spanning said depression, and tighteningmeans for fastening said bolt to the member having said de pression forcrimping the cables independently of the opposite member, one of saidmembers being provided intermediate its edges with a projection and theother of said members having a depression fitting said pro j ection andinterlocking therewith to prevent lateral displacement of said twomembers, substantially as described.

6. In a cable-clamp, two members having opposite alined grooves toreceive a cable, one member having a projection and the other member adepression fitting each other and interlocking, to prevent lateralshifting of said members, said projection extending at its end slightlyinto the path of the cable, one of said members having a depressionintermediate the ends of its groove, and an auxiliary clamping devicefor clamping the cable into said depression independently of theopposite member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

. EDWIN S. DECKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, FREDERICK L. EMERY.

